Gatesgate: A Surge Isn’t Always a Surge When You’re Barack Obama

Last week, Robert Gate’s new book, Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War, rocked the Obama White House (and Washington ) to its core. In the book, allegations fly that Obama, et al, have one overriding consideration when it comes to committing American troops to fight and possibly to die for their country – politics.

Yes, people’s worst fears about this Administration have been confirmed as we find that President Obama, not really believing that the “surge-of-troops” strategy in Afghanistan would be successful, went ahead and ordered that a military surge be executed anyway. And, as most people who truly understand this president might guess, even the execution of the surge was a political calculation, complete with staffers in the White House directly contacting 4-star combatant commanders in the field. Incredible.

First, Obama gave commanders on the ground considerably less numbers in troops and support than were requested, and THEN pulled the troops OUT according to his own timeline – DURING A FIGHTING SEASON – before the 2012 election! Again, an incredible way to conduct a war.

So, the obvious question is, why? Why would the Commander in Chief order such an action if he did not believe that the surge would result in success?

The answer is that there IS no good answer, although the White House is feverishly trying to come up with a credible, coherent narrative that they can use in response to these incredibly damaging pronouncements by Gates.

So, what can they do? They can either say, A: that they actually weighed the political ramifications of doing nothing, and decided that it “looked” better to do “something,” even though Americans would die in that action AND accomplish nothing in the process. Or B: that they had to defer to their military commanders on the ground, or risk looking weak. With Plan B, Obama could sort of have it both ways, internally opposing the surge, for future political and historical consumption, thereby appeasing his antiwar base, and then reluctantly going along with the surge to placate Moderates and the Right, and “look” tough.

Obviously, “A” would be political suicide, as admitting that politics entered into any decision to put our troops in harm’s way would be a devastating admission – even for THIS president. So ”B” has to be the only other course, as damaging as that may be.

After all, discovering that Obama is inept, at this point in his presidency, is not exactly a news flash to any thinking person. What’s different in this case? NO one can honestly point to this man and say, with any credibility, that he has been an effective executive, unless of course you’re taking about the dismantling of our culture, institutions and way of life. He’s GANGBUSTERS at that!

Certainly, the list is long and distressing when it comes to the effectiveness of this administration’s march toward an American society uprooted from her foundations and disconnected from traditional culture. Whether we talk about the biggest project of all, Obamacare’s dismantling of the greatest healthcare system in the world, or the push toward the pre-school brainwashing of kindergartners and toddlers through Common Core’s Cultural Marxist messaging, the “progressives” in the Democratic Party, led by this White House are on the march on all fronts.

Surely, something as inconsequential as president Obama’s lack of military training or understanding, they will argue, cannot derail the progressive juggernaut that is now rolling at full speed! A few more speeches will set things right. A few more distractions like that big fat horrible Republican Governor in New Jersey, killing that nice old lady on the George Washington Bridge, is all they’ll need to push this story away for now and for good.

And don’t look for any resignations among the “top brass” at the Pentagon over these revolting revelations. Those people don’t appear to have any more integrity than Obama’s people do.

No, I think that this White House will opt for Plan B and take their well deserved lumps in the media and among the already disillusioned American citizenry. What have they got to lose… credibility? They lost that a long time ago. And they’ve got nothing, really, to worry about when it comes to the safety of their own skins or of their “sacred honors.” After all, hanging elected officials for treason seems to have gone out of fashion permanently in the good ‘ole U.S.A.

About the author: Clark Howell

Clark Howell is a 50-something, former Liberal who, sometime in the mid 1980's, began to take notice of Ronald Reagan and the positive policies that he and his political allies brought to the table of American life and politics. Since first leaning about Barrack Obama and his ambitions in 2004, he has begun a quest to understand the motivations behind modern "Liberalism" and "Progresivism." Mr. Howell is a professional Marketing Consultant in Central Massachusetts.